On our agenda for the day was Granville Island, where we browsed the art galleries, shopped for souvenirs, had lunch, and paid a visit to my book designer—Fiona Raven of Fiona Raven Book Design. She was putting the finishing touches to my cover for Genocide, book three in my Darcy McClain and Bullet Thriller Series.

Seated outdoors at ShuRaku Sake Bar & Bistro, we ordered an assortment of sushi and sashimi, and the sake tastings. Good service and a delicious meal.

David is no stranger to Vancouver, having worked there in bygone years, and he wanted to spend the morning in Gastown, the city’s oldest neighborhood—a trendy area of hip eateries, unique galleries and boutiques, and superb culinary fare.

The warm day called for lunch outdoors. Our server at The Flying Pig seated us at the far end of the patio and we people-watched as we ate our meals.

On our last night in Vancouver, we dined at Five Sails on the waterfront at Canada Place. Starter: Trio of Warm and Chilled Seafood—wild jumbo shrimp tempura, Dungeness crab, and scallop ceviche. Mains: Honey Glazed Smoked Duck Breast with braised red cabbage purée, roasted celeriac tortellini, truffle butter caramelized salsify, and huckleberry sauce; and Lamb Variation—Rack & Saddle, the rack with pistachio and almonds, and the saddle with brioche and olive crust, and goat cheese-infused whipped golden potato. Dessert: Grand Marnier soufflé.

That evening, we packed for our morning flight from Vancouver into DFW. It was a great trip, and if you haven’t been, then we highly recommend a rail tour on the Rocky Mountaineer: https://www.rockymountaineer.com/

My traveling buddies asked if they could have a guest spot on my blog post, so here they are, and they bid you all a fond farewell!

Cate from Canada, George from New Zealand, Diego from Tasmania, and Bert from Australia.